The club, visible from the 101 Freeway and several blocks from the Los Angeles City Hall, Music Center and Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, has been controversial since it was proposed.
The location was originally planned to open in October as the Penthouse Club, targeted to a upscale clientele. A Penthouse spokesman told the L.A. Downtown News, "There haven't been clubs like this in Los Angeles. It's like trying to explain Ruth's Chris Steak House to someone who's only been to McDonald's."
The club was opposed by local residents and City Council members, and a proposed conditional use permit approving the sale of wine and beer was refused. Penthouse Media Group dropped out after the appeal lost.
"We're appealing the refusal," Little Tokyo Showgirls General Manager Stuwart Mytias told XBIZ. "We want to have a full bar to go with the restaurant we're going to build here." The club currently offers soft drinks.
Max Ahmadi of SP Star Enterprises, owners of the club, said city officials pushed for the permit denial to prevent the club from ever opening.
The Planning Commission in December reversed a provisional permit already granted to the club. At the meeting, downtown residents and city officials testified that the sale of alcohol combined with adult entertainment would be detrimental to the character, development and safety of the surrounding neighborhood.
Representatives of L.A. City Councilman José Huizar, whose district includes the club, and the Little Tokyo Community Council — both of which opposed the conditional use permit for the Penthouse Club — were unavailable for comment on the appeal.
